Category: LeviHolland (Page 2 of 10)

Boarding School Blues
By
Levi Holland

Chapter 18

The sirens came first.

Between the blur of blinding lights and blaring sounds, Cooper’s head was so dizzy that it wasn’t until his heel had been stitched up in the hospital that the fog swallowing his brain began to lift and he could finally breathe.

How could he even describe his parents’ faces when they burst through the doors of his hospital room? He had so much he wanted to say and nothing at all, and he melted into their arms as they swaddled him in a hug. He didn’t have to be brave anymore. For just a moment, he could pretend he was still the same little kid he was when he started 6th grade.

Cooper wasn’t sure where Roman was. He remembered hearing Roman’s voice, his hands and head resting against him until the firetrucks came, but then they were pulled apart, separated.

Cooper hoped Xavier was okay.

The first time Cooper gave his statement, his chest was hollow and his legs too tingly and numb to stand straight. They questioned him so critically to the point where his dad raised his voice louder than he’d ever heard before and his mom fled the room in tears. Even still, it all washed over him in a haze.

The next day when they asked him again, the police were calmer. Everyone was. The officers told them they would try to limit their questions, and Cooper told them everything he could. Of course there were things he didn’t know. Why would he know why Professor Bell wanted to kill Jordy? Did it matter why he had Xavier locked up in his basement? No, his teacher had never mentioned anything to Cooper. That was insane!

It was funny how his parents’ mood changed so dramatically, from sheer joy that he was alive to raging fury about how reckless he’d been. They wanted to pull him immediately from the Academy. A place that dangerous was no place for him. He didn’t have the heart to argue, because what could he say? They were right. Thinking he had any chance to stop Jordy’s killer was nothing but reckless and foolish and stupid.

They treated his wounds, plucked the miniature fragments of glass buried in his palm, swabbed and stitched the cut on his heel. Thankfully the knife hadn’t cut too deep. As long as he was careful, the stitches should hold without too much trouble. He’d been so, so lucky, he heard over and over again.

Before the day was done, two sets of visitors came to see him.

The first was a man and woman he didn’t recognize. Both of their faces were honey bronze, and the man’s head was thick with dreads hanging past his shoulders. Cooper immediately saw Jordy in each of them. He wasn’t prepared for the way they shook his parents’ hands and wept at his bedside. As they each squeezed his good hand and cried, Cooper knew he would be reckless and foolish and stupid a thousand times again if given the chance.

Cooper’s second visitor came as the sun’s golden rays reflected off the blinds of his hospital room. With a gentle knock, Headmaster Robinson appeared in the doorway, his pristine Blue Ridge uniform a stark contrast to the worn, weary man wearing it. He regarded each of them before clearing his throat.

“I apologize,” he said. “I don’t want to interrupt if now’s a bad time.”

Cooper’s parents traded cautious glances before his dad spoke. “Not at all. Please, come in.”

Headmaster Robinson’s shoulders slumped as he walked inside. It was like he had aged ten years over the past few nights. When he reached Cooper’s dad, he extended a slow and steady hand to shake.

“Joe,” Headmaster Robinson said.

“Good to see you, sir,” his dad said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Been a long time.”

His headmaster quirked an eyebrow at this, and Cooper thought he saw the slightest smirk. After giving a polite welcome to his mom, Headmaster Robinson turned his attention towards Cooper and lowered himself to his knees. Each of them cracked like thick branches, and Cooper winced. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get over hearing sounds like that again.

Placing both hands on the railing of the bed, his headmaster bowed his head and breathed a heavy sigh. When he lifted his head again, his eyes brimmed with tears. “Young man, what you have done for this school can never be put into words.”

Cooper tried thinking of a way to break the tension that seemed to swallow him up over the last twenty four hours. “So, I’m not in trouble?”

Headmaster Robinson’s eyes widened, and he started to laugh. It started slow and built to the point where he had to clutch a hand at his side. “No, son, you’re not in trouble.”

His parents made room for his headmaster to sit on the thin blue cushions of the narrow couch inside the room. The sun gleamed off the gray stripes in his wild nest of hair. It was a long time before he spoke, like he was trying to choose the right words to say.

“I was told today you all would be withdrawing your son from the academy.”

His parents shuffled on their feet, neither of them making eye contact with Cooper or his headmaster.

“We think it’s for the best, you see,” his dad said. “We wanted Blue Ridge to be a fresh start for Cooper, not…this.”

His mom was quick to jump in. “Sending him in the first place was really more our idea. Maybe we pushed him too early to be off on his own like that. And we’re not saying what happened was your fault or anyone else’s, it’s just…”

“I understand,” Headmaster Robinson said and stood to his feet before walking to the door. A team of nurses hurried along an incoming patient laid a gurney, paying their room no attention as they passed. Headmaster Robinson placed a hand against the door frame and rested against it as he cocked his head towards them.

“Joe, you have known me for a very long time. Of anyone, you should know how important Blue Ridge’s values are to me. What I’m about to say, I don’t say lightly, and please feel free to disregard it. This is your decision, after all.”

What Headmaster Robinson said next would stick with Cooper for the rest of his life.

“There isn’t a single person at our school who embodies what Blue Ridge stands for more than Cooper.”

Then he was gone.

***

“Roman, you deserve to know the truth.”

The heart rate monitor beeped steadily as Roman stared at Xavier. His white-blond hair was messy from sleep but clean now as he sat propped in the raised bed. A couple hours ago, a nurse had changed the gauze bandage around the gash near his temple.

Between them was a small rolling desk they used to play cards while their parents picked up dinner from a nearby restaurant. Roman tossed a card in the growing pile and picked up another from the deck.

“The truth about what?”

Between the blood loss, dehydration, and starvation, Xavier was lucky to be found when he had been. Another day or two, the nurses said, and things would have taken a turn for the worst. After being treated, Xavier slept the entire first day, only coming around in the late hours of the following night. His throat was groggy and hoarse, and he was only allowed small sips of water to begin with, but he had survived.

That was all that mattered.

“About Professor Bell,” Xavier said in a whisper.

His mom had carried on relentlessly about how she’d sue the school for negligence and letting a murderer on the staff, but Roman had finally snapped, screaming at her in tears through his exhaustion to let it go. Why couldn’t she be satisfied that they were all together again? Alive. Safe.

“Didn’t you already tell the police everything?” Roman asked.

They’d both given their statements early on. Roman imagined they asked Cooper, Fielding, and Anakin a lot of the same questions. He didn’t care. There was nothing to hide. Xavier trapped in the basement was all the evidence the police needed for a dead man who had already killed another boy.

“I don’t even know where to begin,” Xavier said, and his brother’s face crumpled into tears as he dropped his cards in his lap and wiped his eyes.

“You don’t have to talk about it,” Roman said.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I need to. You of all people deserve to know what happened, why I…just promise me you’ll try not to judge me too hard. No one could hate me more than I hate myself.”

One of the first nights at the hospital, when Roman was supposed to be sleeping on the couch for a nap, he overheard one of the nurses talking in hushed tones with his parents about whether or not they knew about Xavier’s self-inflicted marks. In addition to a few bruises that didn’t match the other patterns of his injuries, the nurses found fingernail cuts all along his stomach and ribs, and Roman immediately thought back to the summer before when he’d first seen them and Xavier had told him not to worry.

He balled his fists. His insides felt all shaken up like a bottle of soda ready to burst. He wasn’t sure why Xavier would want to talk about the same dead man who had nearly destroyed their lives forever, but Roman nodded anyway.

And then Xavier told his story.

End Chapter 18

Copyright 2023 – Levi Holland
All rights reserved

Boarding School Blues
By
Levi Holland

Chapter 17

How could they have been so wrong?

Cooper collapsed beside the oak tree as he ran the fingers of his unbandaged hand through his hair. Nothing he had seen made any sense. Why was Professor Bell holding Professor Gray’s cloak? Did that mean he was the one at the boat house instead? Were they working together? No, that couldn’t be right. None of that made sense. There had to be some kind of misunderstanding.

“Cooper, we have to go,” Roman whispered.

“Go where?” Cooper asked.

“Inside the house,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going on, but we need answers.”

Cooper wobbled to his feet, no longer feeling brave. The house Professor Bell had come from was dark now like the others. Cooper followed Roman’s lead as they reached the porch steps, hardly able to breathe as Roman tested the doorknob. It opened without issue, and without a word, Roman dragged Cooper inside.

The darkness inside smothered him like a blanket, and right away Cooper inhaled the familiar lemony scent from the boat house, the same exact one from Professor Gray’s classroom the day Anakin had his sneezing fit. What was going on?

Roman twisted the lock on the front door, trapping Professor Bell on the outside. At least for a little while.

“We have to move fast,” Roman said, pushing past Cooper into the living room. “Xavier!”

Room to room they searched, calling out his name, but there was never any response. On top of it all, making their way through the pitch black house was proving all but impossible. Where was Xavier?

Cooper winced as he slammed his hip into the corner of a desk. He rubbed at the sensitive spot with his good hand while Roman shuffled closer in the dark.

“I think we have to risk it,” Roman said.

It was risky. They both knew it. Working in the dark was one thing, but the moment they flipped the light switch for the living room, Professor Bell’s house would shine like a light house. There’d be no hiding the fact that they were snooping around inside. But what choice did they have?

“If we’re quick,” Cooper said, “maybe he won’t see.”

Standing at the wall, Cooper counted to three before flipping on the light switch. Right away, his eyes squinted against the harsh overhead light as the fan whirred on the ceiling.

The house looked totally normal. If they hadn’t been there to witness Professor Bell leaving the home, Cooper wouldn’t have thought anything was out of place.

They split up again, and it wasn’t until Cooper passed the opening of the mudroom that he spotted the desk he bumped into from before. Scattered on top were several stacks of books, an old laptop, and other loose papers strewn about. There was enough clutter that Cooper nearly missed the door hidden behind the desk.

“Roman!” he shouted.

Roman was by his side in seconds, eyeing the door Cooper showed him.

“It’s worth a shot,” he said. “We have to find out what’s inside.”

Cooper helped Roman swipe all the junk off the top of the desk. As they worked to lift and rotate the desk out of the way, the cuts on Cooper’s palm burned. Whatever he and Anakin had done to stop the bleeding, he knew the wounds had reopened with fresh blood.

When they were far enough out of the way, Roman wrenched the door open until it clanged against the edge of the desk. A steep, narrow set of stairs led down into an inky black basement. Little light spilled down the steps, but Cooper thought he spotted the glint of a pull chain near the bottom.

He tried to slow his breathing. At any point, Professor Bell would be back. The locked door would only hold him off for so long, and nothing was to stop him from getting in through a window or busting down the door. If Anakin and Fielding couldn’t get help in time, neither he nor Roman would make it out alive.

“Xavier!” Roman shouted down the steps, but there was no answer.

They took the wooden steps slowly, each one clunking with their footsteps. The deeper they went, the more Cooper wanted to gag as an acrid, sour odor curled around his nostrils. It turned his stomach, and Cooper tried to only breathe through his mouth.

“What is that?” Cooper asked.

“Xavier! Are you down here?”

The basement was completely shrouded from their view. Somewhere in the back corner, a machine gently thumped and ticked every few seconds. Standing on the tip of his toes, Cooper struggled for the pull chain, just able to grip the end between the fingers of his good hand before he tugged. The light bulb buzzed to life.

And there was a body.

***

“Xavier!”

Roman had no doubt it was him as he dashed across the basement. The red sneakers he’d bought Xavier for Christmas were caked with dried mud, but there was no doubt about it. He’d recognize those red sneakers anywhere. Roman slid to his knees, praying Xavier was still breathing.

Xavier was strapped to a support beam, his arms wrenched awkwardly behind him and bound at the wrists. Though he wasn’t responsive, Xavier’s chest rose with short, shallow breaths, and Roman released a grateful sigh.

From head to toe, his brother was a mess. His greasy blonde hair lay matted from several days without a shower. A dried gash ran across his temple with old blood staining his jaw. His cheeks and eyes were sunken and hollow, his lips cracked with dehydration. Part of his shirt had been torn near the collar, and the dark stain spread around Xavier’s groin told Roman everything he needed to know about the nauseating stench in the room. Roman’s blood boiled as tears welled in his eyes.

“He’s hurt bad,” Cooper said as he inspected the bindings around his wrists. The zip ties cut deep into Xavier’s skin, leaving them dark with blood.

Roman tried to shake his shoulder, and Xavier’s eyelids fluttered open, unfocused and hazy before closing again.

“Xavier, wake up!” Roman said, low and urgent.

Xavier’s lips moved, but no sound came out. His face scrunched in pain as he tried again, this time forcing out a hoarse word, hardly more than a scratchy whisper.

“Roman…”

“We’re here,” Roman said, trying to keep Xavier alert. “We’re gonna get help. We’re gonna…”

What were they going to do? Cooper was still struggling unsuccessfully with the restraints around Xavier’s wrists, and even if they got him free, his brother wouldn’t be able to walk up the steps, not in the condition he was in. Roman doubted they could get him anywhere close to safe before Professor Bell stopped them.

“Cooper, what’re we gonna do?”

Cooper scanned the basement. “There’s gotta be something down here we can use to cut the zip ties.”

Roman helped Cooper search, hastily digging through the messy boxes scattered around the basement in search for anything with a sharp edge. If nothing else, he’d chew through the binds with his teeth. They couldn’t give up now, not when they were so close to freeing Xavier!

“There’s nothing here!” Roman shouted, kicking a box over in frustration.

Cooper fidgeted with the end of his shirt as he cleared his throat. He eyed the stairs leading into the house. “I’ve got an idea,” Cooper said, “but I don’t know if you’ll like it.”

“What is it?”

“We can’t get him out,” he said, “but maybe I can create a distraction. I’ll lead Professor Bell away until the others show up. That way, you guys can stay safe.”

“Are you crazy!?” Roman shouted.

“You got any better ideas?”

“Yeah, not running out and getting yourself killed. Do you know how dangerous that sounds?”

Cooper’s knees wobbled as he clenched his fists. “‘We can’t be afraid of danger.’ I can do this, Roman. I’ll buy you guys time. But, in case I don’t make it—”

“No,” Roman said. “Don’t think like that. Just be careful.”

Cooper nodded, casting one last glance at Xavier before leaving. His feet clunked up the stairs, and after reaching the top, Roman heard the basement door close, followed by the scraping of the desk being pushed back against the door. It was all up to Cooper now.

As Roman knelt behind Xavier, he examined his wrists. They were crossed together, the zip ties chewing into his flesh. No matter how much he dug his fingernails into the ties, they wouldn’t budge. Maybe they overlooked something that could help cut Xavier’s bonds. He tried tugging them again.

Xavier’s voice rasped as he choked out Roman’s name.

“I’m here,” Roman stammered, sliding around to face Xavier. “Cooper’s getting help. Don’t worry.”

Xavier couldn’t lift his head, his eyes stayed shut, and when he spoke, every word from his mouth was like sandpaper.

“Roman…I’m…sorry…”

A memory flooded Roman’s mind, from years ago, running through the house playing tag with Xavier. Roman wasn’t paying attention to where he was headed. All that mattered was that whenever he peeked over his shoulder, Xavier was hot on Roman’s heels, arms outstretched as Roman squealed with laughter.

Roman never saw the vase coming. By the time Xavier shouted his name, there was nothing he could do to avoid colliding with the podium. The vase cracked apart in thick glass chunks when it struck the ground, and all Roman could hear in his mind was his mom’s frustration. How many times had she warned them not to make the house their playground?

Xavier’s hand was on his shoulder, squeezing it in a way that said he was the big brother, that he was the one who would take care of it—take care of Roman. Xavier took the blame and along with it, two weeks of grounding as punishment. Even to this day, his parents never knew the truth, but Roman always remembered.

He wasn’t sure why the memory rushed back now as he wiped the hot tears from his cheek.

From upstairs, a muffled shout rang out. No doubt it was Cooper’s voice. Tied to the support beam, Xavier had dropped unconscious again, his head sagging low towards his shoulder. Cooper needed his help, but Roman couldn’t abandon Xavier. What was he supposed to do?

Did he run to the pull chain, hide with Xavier, and wait it out in the dark?

What if Cooper needed him in that moment and there wasn’t a second to spare?

Would going upstairs only put Cooper in more danger somehow?

Roman pulled at his hair and rubbed his eyes. He wished Fielding was with him.

The noises had fallen deathly silent. There was a moment where Roman thought he heard a man’s voice, but he couldn’t be sure. He couldn’t abandon Xavier, but he couldn’t leave Cooper all by himself either. How many times had Cooper put himself in harm’s way to help him find his brother?

Roman placed a hand gently on Xavier’s shoulder and squeezed just like Xavier had done for him when they were little. Just a few moments longer was all they needed.

Roman stood to his feet. His brain was foggy as he climbed the staircase, every step weighing him down like heavy lead. When he reached the top, he pressed his ear against the door, listening for any clue as to what was happening on the other side.

Nothing.

Roman tested the doorknob, but as expected, it didn’t budge, not with the desk shoved against it. Roman turned the handle and slammed his shoulder against the door, wincing with every dull jab of pain shooting through his arm. Each time, the door budged a little more. A little more. A little more. With a final grunt, Roman wedged his hands between the opening and pushed with all his might until there was enough space to squeeze his slim body through.

The lights were still on, and after easing the door shut behind him, Roman raised his fists in self defense in case someone sprang out at him. Not that he really thought he could fight off Professor Bell if he tried to get the jump on him, but he wouldn’t go down without a fight either. Roman was the one with everything to lose.

Every heartbeat stung his chest. Roman spun to either side as he stepped out from the mudroom, ready to dodge a punch or oncoming tackle. When he passed the hallway leading to the bedrooms, he ducked his head inside, but there was no one there. This side of the house was empty.

A distant shout drew his attention, and Roman stepped cautiously forward until he entered the kitchen. Inside, a table had been toppled, and a phone had busted apart in pieces on the floor.

The back door was wide open, and Roman froze as he saw Professor Bell in the yard.

***

Cooper had to buy Roman time.

Any second, Anakin and Fielding would be back with Headmaster Robinson, but right now they were headed to the wrong house. If Cooper couldn’t find a way to get them to Professor Bell’s, then Jordy wouldn’t be the only dead kid discovered on campus.

After storming up the stairs, Cooper grunted as he shoved the desk against the basement door, his muscles straining under the weight. Now Roman and Xavier were pinned in, but at least Professor Bell wouldn’t be able to get back to them so easily.

Running to the front door, Cooper breathed a sigh of relief. Still locked.

Did he risk escaping out the front? What if Professor Bell was waiting to trap him? Cooper shook his head. He had to be decisive. This wasn’t like his books where Detective Dackery had time to contemplate every little move. Living in the what-ifs would only get him killed.

Cooper ran towards the kitchen, forming a plan as he went. He would head out the back door, hop the fence, and make as much noise as humanly possible. All he needed was one other adult to notice him, hear his cries for help.

Inside the kitchen, a phone flashed on the receiver, and Cooper snatched it from the stand. He wasn’t sure how soon the police would show, but it was worth a shot. Anything to increase their chances. The moment he was over the fence, he’d dial 911 and tell them everything.

He was so close. All that was left was to open the back door and run like hell for the fences. With a click, Cooper twisted the latch and wrenched the door open.

“Cooper!”

Cooper tripped backwards over his own feet and cried out as Professor Bell stepped through the back door. Beside him, the phone lay smashed in pieces, useless now to him or anyone else. Now what was he going to do?

Inside the kitchen, Professor Bell stalked like a cornered, rabid animal. The knot near his temple had swollen into a nasty purple egg, and the nearest eye was bloodshot like a spiderweb. Both eyes fixed on Cooper, dilating to sharpened points. Without a word, Professor Bell lunged at him, hands outstretched like talons as he dove forward, clutching Cooper by the throat.

At once the air snapped from his throat, and Cooper panicked, trying to dig his fingernails into the thick forearms of the man. As he struggled, Anakin’s scarf around his hand came undone, and the shallow wounds reopened. Little streams of blood trickled down his wrist and dripped onto his face as he tried desperately to escape from Professor Bell.

The fingers around his windpipe tightened, and Cooper knew his professor had gone insane. He wasn’t just trying to protect himself or cover his tracks. He was far beyond that. Professor Bell was insuring Cooper went down with him.

Cooper begged for breath. His eyes bulged with pressure. He had to think of something. Trying to claw Professor Bell’s face wasn’t doing him any good. He was too far away, and Cooper wasn’t strong enough. Glancing down, Cooper saw one last, hopeful opportunity and drove his knee into the man’s crotch.

Professor Bell buckled and gave a pinched yelp. His grip around Cooper’s throat loosened, and Cooper sucked in a choked gasp. He smashed his knee in a second time. As Cooper tried to scramble away, a furious hand tore the collar of his sweater.

Struggling to his feet, Cooper checked his throat with his good hand. Already, his windpipe was achy and bruised, and as he tried to speak, his voice was as hoarse as Xavier’s had been. How was anyone going to hear him calling for help? His only chance was to run.

Professor Bell lumbered to his feet, blocking Cooper’s path to freedom, and Cooper wished he had nailed him a third time in the balls. As Cooper backpedaled, he bumped into the kitchen table and felt it wobble. He tried to steady his breath, control his breathing.

When Professor Bell made another desperate lunge, Cooper waited until the last possible second before ducking beneath his arm. The instant his teacher collided with the table, he tipped to the ground with the table in a loud clatter. This was his chance!

Cooper’s eyes watered against the cool air as he sprinted out the back door, looking for the quickest way to safety. Like all the other yards, a tall white picket fence guarded all the ways out. On a good day, Cooper could’ve wedged his hands between the boards and scaled the fence with no problem like Professor Bell must have, but with his one hand messed up, he wasn’t sure he could make it in time, not before he got dragged back down and pummeled to death.

Cooper couldn’t look back, refused to look back, was terrified that if he did, Professor Bell would be over his shoulder, ready to snuff the life out of him. Ahead of him, the walls of the fence closed just around a tree growing tall in the yard. Its branches curled low and thick, growing thinner as the tree stretched higher like the honeylocusts back home. There was no other choice.

Cooper squeezed his fingers into the palm of his bad hand as he dashed to the base of the tree. The pain stung like a thousand wasps, but Cooper swallowed it down. Gripping the first thick branch, Cooper hoisted himself up, wincing as the bark chewed into his skin. One down. The next branch was in easy reach, and again he climbed, using every ounce of adrenaline pumping through his body. Push with the legs, not just the arms, Cooper reminded himself, reliving the hundreds of times he and Roman had scaled the rock climbing wall over the past several months.

Ten feet below, Professor Bell appeared, a shadow in the darkness. Even in the dim light spilling out from the kitchen, the knife gripped in his hand was unmistakable.

“It’s alright, Cooper,” he said in a strained voice. “There’s just been a misunderstanding. You come on down, and we’ll talk it out.”

No way that was going to happen. As Cooper turned his body, his foot slipped from the branch, and he cried out as he clutched the one near his chest. It was all he could do to hang on. Falling now meant losing everything. His feet dangled in the open air beneath him, and before he lost his grip, he swung back the other way, digging the rubber of his shoes into the branch below.

“Careful, Cooper,” Professor Bell mocked. “A fall like that would be pretty nasty.”

Cooper’s eyes widened as his teacher approached the base of the tree and lifted himself up onto the first branch with little effort. His extra height made it easy to climb, and Cooper looked up. There were only so many branches, so much space to put between them.

Cooper ground his teeth as he spun back around and pulled himself to the next branch. The branches were growing thinner, weaker. Each branch wobbled as Cooper held on with trembling hands and legs. Twice, he nearly slipped like he had before.

Before he could lift himself to the next branch, a hot, searing pain flashed across his heel, and Cooper screamed, his voice still a pinched strain in his throat. Professor Bell was only close enough to nick his ankle, but the knife was sharp. Blood dripped from his heel into his shoe, and right away, a chilly, nauseous pit formed in Cooper’s stomach. One more branch.

Cooper thought about his parents, how he would probably never see them again. He wanted to crawl into their arms and have them say everything was going to be alright. He wanted to hug Anakin tight and tell him he was the best friend Cooper could have ever asked for at Blue Ridge. He wanted to apologize to Roman, for letting him down. One more branch.

Every limb in Cooper’s body trembled. He could hardly put any weight on his sliced foot, and his strength was waning. One more branch.

Now the branches were thin enough that he could wrap his whole hand around each one. They creaked and groaned as they warped under his weight, and a sharp gust of wind nearly made him lose his balance. One more branch. One more branch.

But there was nowhere else to go.

As Cooper reached for the next branch and tugged, it snapped free, the jagged bark jutting like a spear from the trunk. Tears streamed down his face. Below him, Professor Bell’s breathing came in frustrated pants as he climbed ever closer.

“Got you now!” he shouted.

This really was it. With a shuddering breath, Cooper squeezed his eyes shut as he pressed himself against the trunk of the tree, tucking his knees to his chest. Whatever came next, he didn’t want to see it coming. Would dying be quick? He hoped it would be quick. He thought of Jordy, his smiling face and how welcome he’d made Cooper feel at Blue Ridge. Even though he was about to die, Cooper didn’t regret coming and meeting Jordy. He would never regret it.

Below him, the night held its breath in silence, and the branch he was on swayed from Professor Bell’s climbing weight. All he could do was hold his breath and wait for the end to come.

“Cooper, hang on!”

Roman’s voice from faraway made his eyes snap open.

Below him, Professor Bell jerked his head back in response, and that’s when the branch snapped. For a brief, fleeting second that seemed impossibly frozen in time, Cooper locked eyes with Professor Bell. His teacher’s face was etched in a silent, open-mouthed gasp, and then he was gone.

Another ear-splitting crack.

More snapping branches.

Fluttering leaves.

A sickly, dull crunch.

And then—

Nothing.

***

Roman’s feet were glued to the ground. Even his words were trapped in his throat.

Professor Bell’s contorted body lay in a crumpled heap at the base of the tree, surrounded by fallen branches and dead leaves. If by some chance he was alive, whatever life was left would be miserable and filled with endless pain.

Roman tried not to focus on the way his teacher’s head twisted at an abnormal angle as he tiptoed closer. Scanning the thin branches near the top of the tree, Roman’s eyes landed on Cooper’s small, shriveled form huddled at the top.

“Cooper, hang on! I’m coming!”

Scaling the branches was simple, especially with the months of recent practice using the rock climbing wall. Shrapnel from broken branches stuck out from the tree as Roman made his way closer to Cooper. His stomach turned as he imagined what his professor’s final moments must have been like.

Roman shook his head. What was he thinking? Professor Bell was a murderer and would have happily killed either of them if given the chance. Already Jordy was dead. Xavier would have been next. Why should he care about their dead killer? Still, as Roman took a glance towards his teacher’s body, he couldn’t stop himself from pitying the man.

The branches right below Cooper were wet and sticky, and Roman heard Cooper’s sniffling as he sat with his knees cradled to his chest. There was so little room for Cooper to sit that it was a miracle he hadn’t slipped off.

“Hang on, Cooper,” he called. “Don’t move!”

One more branch.

Even now Roman could see there was nowhere else to go. He and Cooper were so high up they couldn’t climb another branch if they wanted to.

“Cooper?” Roman called softly.

Cooper’s body was shaking, thin and fragile as he huddled in a ball. A bloody gash at his heel soaked through his sock, but Roman couldn’t see how deep it was. Soft cries reached his ears as Cooper whispered, “What did I do?” over and over again.

Shifting his weight on his heels, Roman carefully gripped the branch Cooper sat on and leaned his head against Cooper’s side. He wasn’t sure what else to do, other than remain there until help finally showed. From the thin branches at the top of the tree, Roman could see that some of the lights from the other houses had turned on. He needed to call for help, but no one knew they were in the tree yet, wouldn’t know until they stumbled upon Professor Bell’s home and discovered his body.

Roman bit down on the inside of his cheek to stop the tears from spilling down his face. He had to be strong, just a little while longer. But everything was adding up. Professor Bell, Xavier, Cooper, Jordy, how close everything had been to going so terribly wrong.

“What did I do?” Cooper whispered again, his eyes wide open is tears steadily streamed down his cheeks. “Ssshhh,” Roman whispered past Cooper’s sobs as he wrapped his arms around his friend in a gentle hug. “You saved Xavier. That’s what you did. You saved his life.”

End Chapter 17

Copyright 2023 – Levi Holland
All rights reserved

Boarding School Blues
By
Levi Holland

Chapter 16

“We’re gonna get in so much trouble for this.”

Anakin paced around the bedroom, fidgeting with anything he could get his hands on. After picking up and putting down one of his colored pencils for the dozenth time, Cooper was ready to strangle him.

“Would you stop?” Cooper shouted. “No one’s making you go, you know.”

“Of course I’m going with you guys. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t?”

Cooper took a deep breath. It was nearly 10 o’clock. This was it. Maybe their one chance to find answers down at the boat house. Maybe ever again.

“It’s time,” Cooper said.

After shutting their lights, Cooper eased the bedroom door open. He half-expected to find his professors outside, tapping their feet as they waited to bust their plan before it had even begun, but the suite was empty. There was only the low hum coming from the bathroom fan.

If anyone happened upon the two of them as they made their way outside, they’d be done for. Cooper held his breath each time they crossed the next suite down, carefully dipping his head around the corner to check nobody was there.

They were nearly caught as they passed the 10th grade suite. An older boy was walking from the bathroom to his room, a toothbrush shoved in his mouth while he idly paced the suite in only a pair of plaid boxers. Cooper froze in the stairwell, silently pleading the boy wouldn’t turn around and catch them. The moment the older boy turned his attention away, Cooper and Anakin scurried down the rest of the stairs. His heart was racing a million miles by the time their feet touched the bottom.

Hugging the walls as they snuck along through the corridors, Cooper knew they weren’t out of the woods yet. Not until they met up with Roman and Fielding and made it outside the castle walls. They crouched in the shadows outside Fuerza’s staircase, waiting for their friends to show. Several tense, quiet minutes passed, and one time they even heard the faraway echo of another adult’s feet, but at last Roman rounded the final bend down the stairs. Fielding was right behind him, constantly checking his rear to make sure they weren’t followed.

Cooper stepped out from his hiding spot to wave them over.

“What now?” Roman asked as the four of them stood in a circle.

“The boat house,” Cooper said. “Try to stay quiet until we’re away from the castle.”

The main entrance was the most exposed but the quickest way out to the castle grounds. Thankfully, there wasn’t a student or teacher to be seen, not with Headmaster Robinson’s curfew in place. What they were about to do was crazy, maybe insane. Cooper imagined how furious Headmaster Robinson would be if they were caught, but if he was right, if the boat house held an important clue, then the consequences were worth the risk.

As they reached the stone landing, a dog’s bark echoed in the distance. Cooper traded glances with the others, but there was no going back now. Roy was out there. Searching. Hunting. They all knew the dangers.

“Let’s go,” he said.

The brisk night air stung Cooper’s lungs as he huffed down the sloping hills towards the boat house. With little light to guide his way, he was careful not to roll his ankle or lose his footing. Behind him, Anakin and Fielding were gasping for air, and twice they had to stop to let them catch their breath.

When the boat house finally came into view, Cooper shuddered. Caution tape surrounded the building and stretched around the borders of the lake. It was a reminder to everyone that death lived on these waters.

Cooper shuddered as he faced the ominous, creaking frame of the boat house. He didn’t believe in superstition, but as he tightened the scarf around his neck against the late autumn breeze, Cooper could almost sense Jordy with them.

“How’re we supposed to get inside?” Anakin asked.

“Let’s smash a window open,” Roman said.

“Are you actually crazy?” Fielding asked.

Cooper stepped forward and raised the band of caution tape guarding the boat house before ducking underneath. He held it up for the others.

“Remember what we’re here for,” he said, “We’ll do whatever it takes.”

They were risking everything by breaking curfew, by leaving themselves so exposed. If Headmaster Robinson caught wind of what they were up to, they’d be kicked out of Blue Ridge by morning. Getting to the boat house unnoticed was only half the battle.

Cooper’s feet clunked against the old wooden boards as he led the way to the front door. The inside of the boat house was pitch black through the cloudy glass, and the doorknob had the chill of death as Cooper twisted it.

“It’s open,” he said.

“I can’t see a thing,” Fielding complained, peering his head through the open doorway.

Anakin asked, “Maybe we should turn on the lights?”

“No,” Cooper snapped. “Remember you can see the boat house from our room. Someone will spot us right away.”

“Well, then how are we supposed to see?”

Cooper scratched his head, trying to remember the layout of the boat house from when he tried searching for clues a couple days earlier. There was the lantern on the back wall. That should let them see without being too bright.

“I’ve got an idea,” he said.

Cooper headed inside, and the darkness sucked him in. Suddenly it was hard to breathe, and the whole boat house seemed to wobble as the lake water lapped against the wooden supports below the planks. Almost at once Cooper stumbled into a metal stand, nearly knocking it over as he regained his balance. The harsh clang made him flinch, and the boat house seemed to mock him with its strange creaks and groans.

“I’m alright,” he called out.

“God, this place smells awful,” Fielding whined. His voice was nasally as if his nose was pinched.

Moving more carefully with his arms outstretched, Cooper heard his friends shuffle carefully inside while he inched towards the back wall. A small counter blocked his path to the wall, but after that, the lantern should be hanging from its hook beside the old splintered door.

Anakin sneezed a couple times in quick succession. “Sorry,” he apologized. “Must be something in the room.”

Cooper felt like he’d been walking for an eternity by the time his hands brushed against the counter top. His fingers slicked through something gross and oily, and he wiped it away on his pants. As he kept moving, his fingers bumped into what felt like a thick, glass container, and immediately it started to wobble. His hands shot out to steady the object before it could tip over and shatter. The last thing they needed was to leave behind any evidence.

“Guys, I’m close,” he called out.

Something tingled his nostrils, and Cooper brought his fingers to his nose. Whatever liquid his fingers had touched was really sharp in his nostrils. It smelled a lot like the cleaning supplies his mom used to scrub the floors at home—a weird mix of chemicals and lemons. Anakin sneezed again as Cooper wiped his fingers and kept moving towards the lantern.

“Hey, Sneezy?” Fielding asked. “Can you try not to spray it everywhere?”

“I’m sorry!” Anakin shouted through another sneeze.

“Does anyone think that smell is a little familiar?” Roman asked.

Cooper made it. The moment he touched the nylon lining of the life jackets, he knew he just had to reach up a little more…and…there. Got it! Lifting the lantern off its hook, Cooper fumbled around until his thumb brushed against the flip-on switch.

“Found it!” he shouted.

The room was bathed in the amber glow of the lantern. All at once, Cooper saw his friends spread out near the open doorway. Anakin was in the middle of another sneezing fit as Fielding shielded his face, but Roman was staring in open-mouthed horror as he pointed behind him.

“Cooper, watch out!”

A cloaked arm wrapped around his neck, and Cooper’s scream died in his throat as he struggled for breath. He tried swinging the lantern at the person behind him, but his arm was batted away, and the lantern flung to the floor. The light spun around the room and made his head dizzy.

Even worse, the terrible citrus stench from before burned his nose, and Cooper nearly gagged as he choked for breath. What was he supposed to do? Nothing was working! He tried digging his feet into the floorboards and shoving back, but anytime he did, his feet got knocked out from under him. He was losing air fast!

“Let him go!” Roman shouted, and something thunked fiercely above Cooper’s head before shattering on the floorboards. There was a pained grunt from a man’s voice as Cooper was shoved to the ground. When he landed, tiny glass fragments buried into one of his palms, and Cooper cried out in pain.

Before he could get to his feet, the man fled past and shoved Roman into one of the life jacket stands before breaking past Anakin and Fielding like they were little more than gnats. Roman toppled over backwards with the stand, and by the time any of them could get their bearings, the door to the boat house clattered open, and the man was gone.

“Roman!” Fielding shouted.

“I’m alright,” he said, groaning as he rolled to his side. “Just a little sore.”

Anakin ran over to Cooper. “Are you okay?” he asked. His shoes and knees crunched into the tiny shards of glass as he leaned down.

“Fine, I think,” Cooper said, but his hands trembled. Pinpricks of glass jabbed at the palm of his right hand, and little streams of blood trickled to the floor.

The moment Anakin stooped down, his nostrils scrunched at the smell, and he turned away as a bout of violent sneezes overtook him. The odor wasn’t cleaning supplies at all. Cooper wasn’t able to place it at first, maybe because of all the other mildewed smells in the boat house. But as he brought his fingers close to his nostrils, there was no mistaking it. The smell was a lemon cologne.

Cooper’s blood ran cold as he stumbled to his feet. How could he have been so stupid not to notice?

Fielding quickly ran outside and back in before shouting, “He’s gone! At least, I think he is. Guys, we have to go back. This is too dangerous!”

“We aren’t going back,” Roman said firmly as he helped Cooper to the small sink anchored to the wall. When Roman turned on the faucet, Cooper hissed as bits of glass and blood washed down the drain. The soap was only going to make things burn more, but he had to get the wound clean. Behind them, Anakin sneezed again.

“Who was that guy? Am I the only one freaking out here?”

“We should have seen it before,” Cooper said, wincing as he carefully stretched his fingers under the running water. His hand still burned, but there wasn’t time to waste. “The smell as soon as we got inside. Anakin sneezing. There’s only one person I can think of who wears anything that smells like that.”

Roman nodded in understanding.

They both knew who their assailant was.

“Professor Gray.”

***

Under the glow of the lantern, Roman pulled Fielding closer to the door while Anakin wrapped Cooper’s injured hand with his scarf. The cool air rushing into Roman was ice in his lungs, but at least he could finally breathe again.

When the lantern flicked on, Roman thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. In the brief instant before his body went on autopilot, he remembered seeing the shadowy outline of Professor Gray’s nose and the disheveled strands of hair sticking out from his cloak. Everything else about the man was smothered in shadows.

The glass bottle was in his hands before he could think. He only wanted to save Cooper. Roman was secretly hoping the throw would be enough to drop Professor Gray. He knew he’d struck him enough to sting, but their professor ran like a coward before they could stop him. At least Cooper was alright. Mostly, anyway.

There in the doorway, Fielding’s hands shook as violently as his voice, even as Roman reached out to steady them. “You guys can’t seriously be thinking about going after Professor Gray, can you? It’s literal suicide! He just nearly killed Cooper!”

“Fielding, I have to do this. Xavier still needs help, and if there’s any chance he’s still alive…no, I know he’s alive. I have to go after Professor Gray.”

“What if you get hurt?” he asked.

Roman leaned his forehead against Fielding’s and closed his eyes. “We can’t let what happened to Jordy happen again.”

The floorboards creaked beside them.

“We need both of you to go and get help,” Cooper said. Anakin’s yellow scarf was scrunched around his hand, wrapped tightly against the wound. Whatever bleeding had happened before had stopped for now. “You guys have to tell Headmaster Robinson. We don’t know who else can be trusted yet.”

“Why should we trust him, though?” Anakin asked. “Why should we trust anybody?”

Honestly, it was a good question. There was nothing to say Professor Gray wasn’t working alone. And there was still the possibility that Cooper had been right all along about Roy Rochester. But at some point, they had to roll the dice. Like it or not, their headmaster was their best choice for getting the help they needed.

“Tell him, tell everyone,” Roman said. “Don’t stop until everyone in the castle hears about it, for all I care.”

“Come on,” Cooper said as he stepped out of the boat house. Already, he was walking towards the thick black woods beyond the lake. “We’re running out of time.”

Roman began to follow, but before he could make it far, Fielding shouted, “Wait!”

He turned in time for Fielding to tackle him in a hug. Roman stumbled back, barely keeping his footing as Fielding choked the life out of him. Even through their sweaters, Roman could feel the pounding of Fielding’s heart. Or was it his own heartbeat going nuts? When he broke away, Fielding’s eyes were wide and misted. They both knew how dangerous things had gotten.

Roman gasped as Fielding kissed him, and in the brief moment his lips parted, their tongues swiped, sending tingles down Roman’s arms. Inevitably his penis wasn’t as nervous as the rest of his body, and Roman shifted in place as he boned up inside his pants.

When he broke away, Cooper and Anakin were pretending to stare elsewhere.

“Say something,” Roman said with a scowl. “I dare you.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Anakin said quickly. “I think it’s cool!”

“Please come back,” Fielding whispered, and Roman pulled him in for another hug.

“I will,” he said. “I promise. Now, go. We need you guys.”

Fielding wiped his nose and nodded before running towards the castle with Anakin. It would take them a few minutes to get back and likely a few more to reach Headmaster Robinson. After that, Roman couldn’t guess. It all hinged on their headmaster believing the two of them.

“Let’s go,” he said to Cooper.

The chilly darkness wrapped its arms around Roman, clutching onto him, refusing to let go. This was it. No matter what happened next, there would be no turning back. They already knew what Professor Gray was capable of committing. Jordy’s body was a testament to that. One way or another, Roman was finding Xavier tonight.

As they reached the cobblestone path leading into the woods, even the lampposts failed to illuminate much beyond the high wall of shrubs on either side of them. Cooper slowed down, eyeing the torn gaps in the shrubs with scrutiny.

“This was the place,” he said. “With Roy and his dog.”

Roman stopped with him to catch his breath. “Still think he’s in on it?”

“Who knows?” Cooper asked and shrugged. “We should get off the path, though. The last thing we want is for anyone to see us coming.”

Pushing through the shrubs was simple enough, but Roman couldn’t help flinching every time his feet crunched through the dead autumn leaves and decaying branches. Every little noise was like glass breaking. There was no way Professor Gray wouldn’t hear them stomping through the underbrush. Worse still, once they left the path, the forest swallowed them up in total darkness, and Roman only had the faint outlines of trees to guide himself along. Somewhere above, an owl hooted from its perch, and something skittered past their feet through the underbrush. The entire forest sucked at night.

“We’re here,” Cooper whispered, as the forest thinned out, and spots of light appeared in the dark.

They crouched at the edge of the clearing as they took in their surroundings. This was where the professors lived. From what he could tell, the homes were all ranch houses, each surrounded by tall, white picket fences. It’d be impossible to see through the gaps unless they pressed their faces up close. How were they supposed to tell which one belonged to Professor Gray? He could be hiding in any one of them!

Roman followed Cooper out of the woods as they ran in a crouch alongside the first fence.

“Where are we going?” Roman whispered.

“I don’t know,” Cooper admitted, “but we need to get somewhere we can see better.”

Around the corner, the cobblestone path coiled from the forest through the neighborhood like a slithering snake. At each house, the path forked, leading up to a set of stone porch steps. Not a single house had their lights on. If not for the lampposts along the path, the neighborhood would be bathed in darkness.

Cold seeped into Roman’s bones, but he bit his cheek to distract himself. Rubbed his arms through his sweater. Stamped his feet to get warm. Blew hot air into his hands. Just as he was beginning to think they should move to somewhere new, a light winked on from inside one of the houses across the path.

“Cooper, look,” he whispered.

“I know. I see it.”

“I’m gonna get closer.”

“Right behind you,” Cooper said.

Roman squatted as he crept around the front yard of the next house. His heartbeat spiked as he tried controlling his breath. He needed to stay invisible by blending with the shadows. Crouching beside a nearby oak tree, Roman leaned against the bark and rubbed his palms together. The chill made his teeth chatter. Catching Professor Gray was one thing, but dying from the cold wasn’t something he was interested in.

The light from the house flicked off, and Roman nearly growled in frustration, but then the door opened, and a tall figure stepped out, something clutched in his grasp. Roman couldn’t see what it was from this far away. The door made little sound as it closed, and without warning, the figure dashed away from the building.

“That’s him!” Cooper whispered. “It’s gotta be!”

“Yeah, but where’s he going?”

The good news about the dark was that Professor Gray would need night vision to see them spying. All Roman could make out was the man’s silhouette as he moved like silk through the clearing.

Should they run out and tackle him? Try to corner their teacher and make him confess? No, that wouldn’t do any good. They needed to make sure Xavier was safe first. That must have been Professor Gray’s house they just saw. If everything went as planned, Headmaster Robinson would be on his way with backup any minute now, and Roman could point them in the right direction. But how much longer would that take, and did Xavier have that kind of time?

Roman held his breath as Professor Gray halted in his tracks, shifting the bundle he held into one hand while the other gently touched the side of his head.

“What’s he doing?” Cooper whispered.

“Probably still reeling from the knock I gave him,” Roman hoped.

Professor Gray adjusted course, and for just an instant, he stepped beneath the light of the lampposts. The first thing Roman recognized was the black cloak from the boat house crumpled in his hands, but when he stared up at the man’s face, Roman gasped.

For a moment, his brain shut down. He didn’t believe it. Hadn’t he seen the oily strands of Professor Gray’s hair extending from the hood of his cloak? Hadn’t they all recognized the smell of his lemon scented cologne?

So then why was Professor Bell the one holding the cloak?

His dark hair fell like sweaty strings down his forehead, barely covering the ugly purple knot blooming across his temple. Eyes darting wildly, Professor Bell adjusted the cloak and took a panicked look around before sprinting away from the house.

Roman could only trade horrified glances with Cooper. His stomach churned as he tried to swallow back the sour lump that was stuck in his throat. How could they have been so wrong?

End Chapter 16

Copyright 2023 – Levi Holland
All rights reserved

Boarding School Blues
By
Levi Holland

Chapter 15

Jordy Diaz was dead.

Cooper couldn’t believe it—couldn’t breathe as the news became official. It started as rumors—everyone heard the sirens as they came roaring down the lone street leading to the castle and then across the rolling green fields. The vehicles converged at the far side of the lake where Jordy’s body was plucked from the water. Now the search was on for a second.

Cooper’s food sat untouched on his plate as his knees shook at the table. They were all a total wreck. It didn’t matter what anyone tried to say. No amount of kind words could fix a dead boy. Cooper craned his head to try and find Roman again. He and Fielding were nowhere to be found.

Kai wasn’t at dinner, either…Cooper shuddered, wishing he could go back in time and undo hearing Kai’s tortured scream when everyone found out.

“This is so fucked,” Anakin muttered. He sank in his seat, eyes still puffy from his recent tears.

“I can’t believe it,” Naveen said, shaking his head. “I never thought, I mean…who would have?”

“You were trying to be hopeful,” Cooper said.

“We all were,” Julian agreed.

They waited a long time in the banquet hall. No one felt like moving. Cooper didn’t want to go back to his suite. Not like this. Not when the whole world was falling apart.

“Come on,” Anakin finally said. “Let’s go together.”

That night, Professor Bell came to visit them along with a professor they hadn’t met. Apparently she was one of the counselors at the school, ready to speak with any of the students as they worked through processing their grief. If anyone needed to speak with the woman, Cooper thought, it was Kai. Surely no one was hurting more than him right now. While she talked, the four of them waited on the sofa in silence as a low fire crackled in the nearby hearth.

“Boys,” Professor Bell said when the counselor had finished, “I know this isn’t easy to hear, but it was Jordy they found out there. The police are still investigating, but they found his leg twisted up in the weeds. They think it was an accident.”

Cooper fell back against the couch deflated. Had he been wrong this whole time?

“What about Xavier?” Cooper asked, almost afraid to ask the question. He was surprised at how hoarse and scratchy the words were in his throat.

The two professors traded glances, but the counselor shook her head like they were communicating about something else entirely.

“They’re still looking for him, but for what it’s worth, they don’t think a second body’s in the lake. Listen, boys. Classes are canceled while arrangements are made for Jordy, but under no circumstances are any of you allowed near the lake or the boat house. Headmaster Robinson wants everyone to stay within the castle walls. If you have to go somewhere, go in pairs, alright? And if you see anything out of place, say something.”

“Thanks, Professor Bell,” Anakin said as his fingers teased the folds of his scarf.

“Professor Bell, wait,” Cooper said as the two started to leave. When they turned to face him, he hesitated. Did he voice his suspicions about foul play or did he trust the officers to do their job? Cooper couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something else the two professors weren’t sharing. No, if he wanted answers and justice for Jordy, he’d have to get them his own way. “Sorry, nevermind.”

That night as they lay in bed together, Cooper broke down, crying as he lay next to Anakin, whose face was as wet as his. Cooper was furious with himself for being too late to save Jordy. Did he miss something at the boat house yesterday when he went inside? Surely there must have been some clue he overlooked. Cooper’s mind traveled back to the round lantern and the splintered door. Had there been a clue inside all along? What if Jordy’s body had somehow been inside? It was stupid to think Jordy could have drowned! He was the best swimmer Cooper ever met.

How did any of it make sense? There were so many people searching for any sign of Jordy and Xavier! At the lake yesterday, he’d been so close, only a couple hundred feet when he ran into Roy and his dog.

That was it, Cooper realized.

Roy must have been keeping an eye on the area, and then when Cooper got close, he chased after him with his dog to scare him off. But if that was the case, then that meant Jordy really didn’t drown.

He was killed.

And his killer was still on the loose.

The next morning, Cooper explained everything to Anakin as they got dressed.

“You can’t be serious, Coop,” he said. Anakin’s shoulders looked heavy as he dragged out his clothes for the day. In a rare turn of events, Anakin’s clothing was simple, just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Even his scarf lay untouched on the dresser. “You heard Professor Bell yesterday. It was an accident. You have to let it go.”

“I know what they said, but I’m telling you something was super off about Roy! I have to tell Headmaster Robinson what I know, but I need you with me.”

A pained expression crossed Anakin’s darkened face as he sat down on the mattress.

“What if it makes things worse?”

“Nothing will happen if we’re together,” Cooper said. “I promise. Trust me, Anakin, okay?”

Cooper knew time was running short. All he could think about was Roman and the fact that his brother was still missing. Hadn’t he made his friend a promise to do whatever he could to help find Xavier?

Maybe the next best step was to find Roman and come up with a plan together.

***

Roman threw up again for the third time in twenty four hours as he thought back to the previous day.

By now his stomach was emptied, but he kept dry heaving, his gut punching him with each violent wretch. He couldn’t shake the bloated corpse from his mind, the way Fielding’s last skipping stone had squelched against it. The only good news about finding Jordy’s body was that it was face down.

Roman wasn’t sure he could have handled it otherwise.

Yesterday, when he and Fielding ran like madmen back to campus, it didn’t take long to find Headmaster Robinson. As the emergency vehicles thundered onto campus, Roman wondered if they were in trouble. Roy Rochester refused to say a word as he delivered them to the headmaster’s office like prisoners.

He didn’t care if they were in trouble, though. All Roman could think about was Xavier floating somewhere cold and dead in the murky lake like Jordy. That’s when he threw up the first time. Roy scowled at him but let Roman clean himself up in one of the nearby bathrooms before Headmaster Robinson was ready for them.

Dinner was brought to the headmaster’s office as they shared everything they knew, including how they’d seen Jordy the same day he disappeared, just hours before.

“I don’t know why I never said anything,” Roman said. “I was just scared.”

“But we don’t know anything else,” Fielding added in a panic. “Honest!”

“And why were the two of you out at the lake?” their headmaster asked.

“We were just…out for a walk,” Fielding said, his voice trailing.

“Together,” Roman added. “We were spending time together.”

Headmaster Robinson coughed and scribbled down a few extra notes before leveling his gaze at them. When he first met Headmaster Robinson, Roman’s first impression was that of a tiger. Now, with everything that had happened at Blue Ridge over the past few days, all Roman could see was a tired, old man.

“I believe you both,” he said. “For now, we’ll let the police investigate and go from there. For what it’s worth, young man, I hope your brother is not in that lake.”

“Do my parents know?” Roman asked, and Headmaster Robinson nodded.

“We made a call when your brother first went missing and again tonight. I understand they are both away for travel, but they should arrive within a couple days.”

What did his parents make of Xavier’s disappearance, especially now that there was a dead body? When they were allowed back to their dorm room, it didn’t take long for Roman’s food to sour in his stomach, and before he could make it past the first steps, he threw up again, his stomach rejecting the little amount of food he managed to choke down.

One of the upperclassmen who saw them went to get an adult while Fielding rubbed his back. Roman clenched his hands in white-knuckled fists. He had to get it together. Xavier wasn’t gone yet. He couldn’t be.

Later that night, when they were gathered on the couch in their suite, Professor Lee pulled Roman to the side.

“I’m not supposed to say anything yet,” she said, “but they don’t believe Xavier’s in the lake. This is good news, Roman.”

It was good news, and for the first time, Roman felt like he could breathe. But then the cogs in his mind started turning, and he began to wonder. If Xavier wasn’t down in the lake, then where was he?

When he asked Professor Lee what she thought, a frown crossed her face, and she hesitated. “We aren’t sure. The investigation’s still ongoing.”

That had been the end of the conversation.

Now, as Roman hunched over the toilet bowl and wiped the residue of stomach acid from his face, he knew he needed a plan. Xavier hadn’t mysteriously vanished off the face of the Earth. He was somewhere at Blue Ridge. Roman had to find him, no matter what. Even if it meant coming across a second body. He had to know the truth.

With classes suspended, there wasn’t as much urgency to eat breakfast quickly, but it didn’t matter. Roman’s appetite was gone. He wasn’t sure he’d ever eat again, not when every time he closed his eyes he saw Jordy’s bloated body again.

“I’m not hungry anymore,” he told Fielding and started walking away before he could be talked out of it.

“Wait, where are you going?” Fielding asked, turning around to follow him out.

Roman wasn’t sure, but he couldn’t be in a room full of people who had no idea what he was going through. He was almost out of the banquet hall when someone grabbed his arm from behind. Spinning on his heels, Roman raised his fist in a scowl, ready to punch whoever it was in the face. Cooper and Anakin stood there, and an intensity flared in Cooper’s eyes that Roman had never seen before.

“Let’s find someplace private to talk.”

They gathered in the nearby courtyard, their only company the birds pecking the ground for food. Roman shivered in the cool air as Cooper walked them through all that had happened over the past few days from their perspective. When Roman heard about Cooper’s theory on Roy, his ears perked up.

Wasn’t there a time he’d seen Roy and Xavier in an argument earlier in the semester? He wasn’t sure that meant Roy was some vicious killer like Cooper believed, but there was clearly more going on than they knew.

“The same night Jordy went missing, Anakin and I saw something floating on the lake. A light of some kind. I tried getting clues at the boat house, but there were too many people, and it was getting late. And then later on, I saw Roy right near the same spot they found Jordy!”

“Well, good luck getting inside now,” Fielding said, waving his hand in dismissal. “The police have that whole place taped off.”

Anakin nodded in agreement. “Plus, how would we get permission to go? Everyone’s under lockdown.”

Roman locked eyes with Cooper and nodded. Roman could see the same determination on Cooper’s face that burned within him. There was no way anyone was changing their minds. They were getting answers tonight. “Who said anything about getting permission?”

End Chapter 15

Copyright 2023 – Levi Holland
All rights reserved